Brighter Than The Moon
by Johyeang
Summary: Aliza Potter never thought magic was real until she received her letter from Hogwarts. When the sorting hat places her in Slytherin and away from her brother, Harry, she has to hone her skills to survive the darkness that is coming. Friends become foes and enemies become allies. Aliza can only trust one person to carry out her grand plan - Draco Malfoy.
1. Prologue

A/N: I don't own anything other than Aliza Potter and the plot!

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. So it was to no surprise that Mrs. Dursley was screeching at the top of her lungs that morning when she found her freak of a sister's son and daughter lying on her front door step.

"Get them out of this house! I demand it!" Petunia Dursley screamed, "I will not have- have you-know-whats living here."

Vernon Dursley paled as his eyes roamed over the letter that came with the bundles. "Are- Are you sure about that, sweetie dear?" he asked timidly. "This dumblydore says they're only safe here because of- of- of blood wards."

Petunia turned, aghast at the thought of blood wards in her home. "I don't care, Vernon! Haven't you seen the freaks my sister and her good for nothing husband are?"

"Were," Vernon corrected gently.

"Well- yes, were- but that's not the point. They'll grow up to be just like them and they'll corrupt our sweet little diddykins! You can't possibly be alright with them staying!" She was staring intently at her husband, silently daring him to object.

"There's an orphanage on the other side of the town," he replied after a long silence. "I'll go get changed."

Satisfied, Petunia sat down on the couch as Vernon disappeared upstairs. As if taking away the affection that should've rightfully been hers wasn't enough, her sickening sister went and gotten herself killed! And left her twins to be cared for by her! Yes, sending them away was the best decision. Better than having to waste her precious money and attention on little rats.

Vernon came padding down the stairs at that moment and off they went to Wiland's Orphanage.

* * *

"But Albus-"

"No, Minerva. I presented an offer to the Dursleys and they have declined it," Dumbledore said calmly, fingers pressed together. "We should be thankful for their assistance in sending them to an orphanage in favour of abandoning them altogether."

"They're not safe there!" Minerva exclaimed, expression wild with panic and anger. Strands of hair had fallen out of her tight bun and her lips were pressed together in a thin line.

"I will see to it that wards are put in place around the orphanage. They will not be in any danger." Minerva searched Dumbledore's gaze, trying to remind herself that this was Dumbledore, the man who induced fear in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Her trust would not be misplaced. "I will not let any harm come their way, Minerva. You know that better than anyone."

The door to Dumbledore's office burst open very suddenly and a swish of black robes entered the room. Severus Snape stood at the door, a grave expression marring his features. He gave a significant glance at Mcgonagall and then at Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. I would like some privacy with Severus, if you will."

Minerva nodded and stood from the table. She stopped at the door and gave Severus an apologetic look. It would not have boded well with him that the decision to bring the Potter children to the Dursleys was made without his consent. He was, after all, the godfather of the girl. When Severus lifted his chin and shifted his stare elsewhere, Minerva knew that she had to give more than just a look to seek his forgiveness.

"Severus, please, sit," Dumbledore said when the door to his office had shut once more.

"Sit, Albus?" Severus was fixing a nasty glare at Dumbledore, his shoulders stiff and hands shaking. The next words he spoke were strained. "You said that you'd keep her safe."

"I did what I could to the best of my abilities. It was the misplaced trust we had all placed in Black that caused this tragedy."

"And what will you say of the Potter children? I brought her to you, trusting that you'll do what's best. But you give her to that nasty girl and let her throw her into an orphanage without first seeking my opinion on the matter? I am her godfather, Albus! Her godfather!"

"I was afraid you would say that."

"I beg your pardon? Albus, I could have taken care of them. They don't have to grow up without a proper family!" In his rage, Severus had walked to Dumbledore's desk and was now nose to nose with him, palms on the table.

"Severus," Dumbledore warned. "Please, sit."

Severus regarded Dumbledore with a long look before setting himself down in the chair opposite Dumbledore.

"Keeping them in the wizarding world would only endanger them more. There will not be a child who does not know the name Harry Potter. Growing up with the fame would eventually get into his head, Severus. And so, it is with his best interest in mind that I made the decision to leave them with their only living relatives. But it seems that even they have abandoned them."

"I could still take in Aliza. She has nothing to do with the fame and attention Harry will get."

"And you would also strip Harry of the only living family he would grow up with."

Silence ensued for what felt like hours before Severus finally spoke again. "Has Black been apprehended yet?"

"The Aurors are searching the country as we speak."

Severus nodded. "I would like to offer my assistance in the search."

"It is perfectly normal to grieve, Severus. But it is not wise to nurture anger to drive your actions."

They stared at one another for a few more moments and Severus stood up to leave. "The Dark Lord," Severus said. "He's not dead like everyone says, is he?"

"I'm afraid not. He is gone, yes, but not for eternity," Dumbledore said, his expression grave.

Severus left the office and stalked off to the dungeons, his mind still set on Aliza Potter and her mother, Lily Evans. She had only just forgiven him two months ago and even managed to convince Potter to let him be Aliza's godfather. Of course, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew were not happy with the idea, to say the least. Black, especially, had refused to acknowledge Severus' presence for weeks whenever he came around to see Aliza and Lily. But no one dared argue with Lily for long. Two months of knowing Aliza and reconciling his broken friendship with Lily. Two months that were too short. He longed to see her again. To see the life in her striking green eyes.

But all that flashed through his mind was her body, lying on the ground like a rag doll. The wails of Harry pierced the silence behind him as he pulled her close to his chest and refused to let go for the longest time. He shouldn't have listened when Lily insisted she was exhausted and suggested he take Aliza home for the night. In the short time he was gone, everything went to hell. Everything fell apart.

And now Aliza was being taken away from him. No, he wouldn't let it happen again. No matter what it took, he will be there for his goddaughter. Always.


	2. Chapter 1: The Letter

**A/N:** Thank you guys for the encouraging reviews! I'm really excited for this fanfic too! I've had the story in my head for a long time now and it's great to finally put it in writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Harry, you can't do that!" Aliza said for the umpteenth time that day. Harry had been going on and on about how he wasn't going to let Mrs. Gardner stop him from getting his weekly blueberry pie. It appeared that she had figured out how the Potters had been stealing the pie with a fishing hook and excellent aim, and had thought to place the pie on the counter next to the window instead. This had incredibly distressed both Aliza and Harry when they went to the first floor window that day only to find the pie missing from the window below them. Of course, Harry could not live much longer without his dessert, as he so clearly exclaimed every minute or so.

"Watch me," he challenged and clambered out of the first floor window.

"Harry!" she tried again. But his head had already disappeared below the window sill. No matter what Aliza told him, Harry was still a risk-taker and stubborn to the core. She leaned over the window to watch Harry slide down the pipe beside the window as carefully as possible.

He stopped beside the kitchen window and slipped in not so silently. A horrible clatter of dishes sounded through the kitchen. That wasn't going so well.

"HARRY! GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!" Mrs. Gardner's voice rang.

After much pleading, Harry entered the boys' room again with no pie. Aliza was seated at the window with folded arms and had a smirk on her face.

"Let's do this my way," she grabbed his arm and led him down the stairs to the kitchen. Mrs. Gardner was rearranging the dishes that Harry had upset just a few moments ago. The pie was resting on the counter right behind her.

Aliza cleared her throat and said, "Mrs. Gardner?" The cook made a noise to show that she was listening. "Harry here wants to apologise."

" _What?_ " Harry whispered beside her, still behind the wall and not in Mrs. Gardner's sight.

" _Just play along,_ " and she nudged him into the kitchen. Mrs. Gardner had stopped arranging the plates, giving Harry her full attention. She folded her arms and fixed him with a stern stare.

"M-Mrs. Gardner," he gulped. "I'm terribly sorry for the trouble I caused in your kitchen."

As Harry continued his sorrowful speech of apology, Aliza slowly made her way to the pie that was sitting on the counter. Very quietly, she took two slices of pie and placed them on a handkerchief before grabbing the corners and pulling them up to make a makeshift basket. When she was done, she went back to Harry's side. Harry had rounded off his apology and Mrs. Gardner was speaking in a soft tone.

"I'm glad you understand where you went wrong, Harry."

"He won't do it again, Mrs. Gardner," Aliza reassured her.

Mrs. Gardner gave a kind smile and said, "Well, you best be off then!"

They quickly left the kitchen and when they were back in the boys' room, quietly enjoyed their slice of pie. It was about mid-afternoon by then, which meant that it was their free time till dinner. "Are you off baking with your friend again?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Uncle Sev should be here already." Uncle Sev was a scary looking man with a hooked nose and greasy black hair. When he had first arrived a few years back to offer baking sessions to the orphans as a volunteer, all the children had slowly backed away from him. Only Aliza had wanted to go for the sessions, if only to know who this peculiar man was. Harry thought she was insane but never complained again when she started bringing back delicious treats from the kitchen. "Care to join us?" she asked.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm perfectly fine with playing with Paul and the new kid," he declined. Aliza's smile had etched into a frown at the mention of Paul and the new kid. "I don't get why you don't like him. Paul's a funny and nice friend."

"It's not that I don't like him. It's just... you never know when they'll disappear one day..." she replied. Harry remembered how Dilliah, Aliza's best friend, had done just that when they were eight. Aliza woke up to a note on her bed telling her that she had gone off to be with Mr. and Mrs. Gold, and that she would write. But she never did.

"I'll be happy for him if he disappears. He would've found a family," he said with a soft smile.

Not wanting to argue and ruin her day, Aliza nodded and said her goodbyes as she left the room to head to the kitchen. Sure enough, Uncle Sev was picking out ingredients from the cabinet and setting them down on the counter. "How was your week?" she enquired as she settled beside him and nosed through the items on the counter.

"Fine, thank you. Though summer break is ending and I'm dreading having to go back to that school with all those children," he droned.

Aliza stifled a laugh as she brought out a huge bowl and some eggs. "Chocolate chip cookies today?"

"Correct. How did you know?"

"Well, the dry ingredients here don't contain yeast and the chocolate chips are a telltale sign."

He gave her a rare smile and praised her for her thinking. As they baked, she talked about her week and how yet another girl she hadn't known the name of had gone off with a family of three, leaving the girls' room empty save herself for a few days before two others joined her. They were seated on the couch in the receiving room, waiting for the last batch of cookies to finish baking, when she asked a question she had always wanted to ask.

"Uncle Sev?" she asked nervously. "Do you- would you ever think of, I don't know, taking us away from here? Harry and I."

"You don't like it here?" he asked.

"No, it's just- it's pretty boring and slightly disheartening to have to stay here until we're eighteen." Being at the orphanage for ten years had quashed all hope she had of ever finding a family. She and Harry had always been passed over when couples came to find a child to adopt. Either they only wanted to adopt one, or they didn't find them appealing enough.

"Aliza, your time will come. I assure you," and he gave another smile.

* * *

Aliza woke up to a strange sight a few days later. An owl with a _letter_ in its beak was perched on the window sill beside her bed and was tapping on the glass like as if it were knocking on a door, waiting to be let in. That certainly wasn't... normal, was it? All of a sudden, the door to the girls' room slammed open and Harry came running in.

"Aliza! Look at this letter I got! It's spouting the craziest nonsense I've ever seen in my life. Is it some sort of a prank?" he said, handing her a piece of parchment. The two girls who were already up and getting ready for breakfast gave annoyed looks at the intruder before leaving for the dining room downstairs. Aliza took the parchment from Harry and glanced over the contents before looking back up at him.

"By any chance, did you get this from an owl?" she asked, curious at the occurrence of all the weirdness.

"Yes! How did you- There it is, Liz! You have one too," he said, pointing excitedly to the tawny owl still waiting outside the window. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? Let it in!"

Before Aliza could protest, Harry had reached over and opened the window so the owl could drop the letter into Aliza's lap. She picked it up and turned it around, revealing an impressive seal with a crest on it. The crest had the letter H imprinted in the centre, with a lion, eagle, badger and serpent surrounding it. She tentatively broke the seal and revealed a piece of parchment very similar to what Harry had given her. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
 _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Ms. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
 _Deputy Headmistress_

There was another piece of parchment behind the first and she unrolled it and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
 _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_  
by Miranda Goshawk

 _A History of Magic_  
by Bathilda Bagshot

 _Magical Theory_  
by Adalbert Waffling

 _A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration_  
by Emeric Switch

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_  
by Phyllida Spore

 _Magical Draughts and Potions_  
by Arsenius Jigger

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_  
by Newt Scamander

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_  
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"It seems a bit extensive for a prank, don't you think?" Aliza asked, reading through the parchment once more. "I mean, it isn't just the details of the whole letter and the seal. An owl even delivered it!"

"Do you think it's true? That magic is real?" Harry asked, staring out the window that the owl had long since vacated.

She didn't have a chance to reply her brother as Mrs. Gardner called for them to come down to the drawing room. They glanced at each other before leaving the girls' room. They never had any visitors, apart from that one time their Aunt and Uncle came to visit with their Cousin. They were pleasant enough until Mrs. Gardner left to get tea. They started insulting their parents for their stupidity and shot them nasty looks. Aliza had really wished that her Aunt had an even longer neck than she already had so that she could be thrown in the zoo along with the giraffes. And no sooner had she thought it that Aunt Petunia's head started to rise higher...and higher...and higher. She had shrieked at the top of her lungs and left the orphanage screaming at them. _'Freaks! Just like your mother!'_ were one of the more pleasant insults.

Harry entered the room, followed by Aliza, who has hovering at the doorway for as long as she could, observing the scene. A lady with a tight black bun and small rectangular spectacles was seated at the sofa, enjoying a cup of tea Mrs. Gardner had no doubt prepared. She had a stern look about her and looked like one of those strict teachers you would always be afraid of upsetting. She was wearing the most peculiar clothes, though. A long cloak-like material was draped over her in a fashion that reminded Aliza of fairy tales. When the lady noticed the arrival of her two young guests, she stood up and gave them her warmest smile.

"Hello, you must be Harry and Aliza Potter," she greeted. "Please, take a seat. There's no need to be so tense."

Aliza claimed the armchair while Harry perched himself beside her on the arm. Mrs. Gardner arrived with a plate of butter cookies and settled into the sofa opposite the stern lady with weird clothes. "I'm sure you've received your letters, am I right?" she asked, glancing at Harry and Aliza. They both gave her uncertain nods. "Oh, where are my manners? I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmaster and transfiguration professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

There was a brief silence before Harry said excitedly, "so it's true! It isn't just a prank!"

"Yes, there really is magic in this world," McGonagall replied with a smile.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Aliza asked, still unsure about trusting a stranger.

"Jenny can certainly vouch for me."

Mrs. Gardner took a long sip of tea and put down her cup. "She speaks the truth, Aliza. I've seen it all."

"Let me see too, then," Aliza demanded.

McGonagall then procured a long stick from her clothing. She waved it at the plate of butter biscuits and said a peculiar incantation that made them start to float towards Aliza. "Care for a biscuit?" she asked.

Aliza examined the plate with wonder before taking a piece tentatively. This certainly was by no means a magician's trick.

"Mrs. Gardner, if you don't mind me asking, can you do magic too?" Harry asked, curious about Mrs. Gardner's earlier comment.

"Unfortunately, no, my dear. My father was a wizard but I never inherited the ability. It is, apparently, a rare case," she replied. "I am what you would call a squib."

"So then, our parents would have been magical too, right?" Aliza asked.

"That is correct, Ms. Potter. Your mother was a muggleborn and your father was a pureblood. Muggleborns are people who have two muggle parents - people with no magical abilities - but are born with magic in their veins," McGonagall said.

"Now, I know I told you never to ask but I believe it is time you know what happened to your parents," Mrs. Gardner said, pouring another cup of tea for herself. "Your parents died a brave and noble death. They were murdered by the darkest wizard of our age whom we refer to as You-Know-Who."

"You-Know-Who? That isn't his real name, is it?" Aliza asked.

"We don't speak of his name," McGonagall said, her cup of tea in her hand.

"What is it?" Harry asked, curiosity eating away at the twins. "Please tell us, just once will do."

The teacup in McGonagall's hand was trembling ever so slightly as she spoke the next few words. "His name...his name was... _Voldemort_."

"Voldemort?" Harry repeated, testing the name on his lips.

"Hush! Don't speak his name ever again, alright!" Mrs. Gardner chastised with a pale face. "You-Know-Who did horrible things. He murdered muggles and muggleborns, claiming that he was doing the wizarding world a favour by keeping our magic blood pure. A load of insane nonsense, if you ask me! Your parents were one of the good forces who fought against him. When he came over to your home in Godric's Hollow to finish your parents off, he tried to kill you, Harry. But he couldn't. It is a mystery as to why he died that night instead of you. Why, you're famous as The Boy Who Lived, Harry!"

McGonagall nodded, "It was only by a stroke of luck that your godfather was taking care of you that night your parents were murdered, Aliza. Who knows what might have happened if you were at home."

"My godfather?" she asked. "Who is he?"

"I think it is only apt that he tells you himself," McGonagall replied with a smile, procuring an envelope from her robes. "Here, it's a letter from him."

Aliza took the plain envelope with no writing save a 'Aliza Lily Potter' at the front.

"We should head to Diagon Alley now before it gets too late. Both of you need to get your school supplies ready before the first of September!" McGonagall said, placing her cup on the table. "Thank you for the tea and biscuits, Jenny, they were wonderful."

Aliza and Harry went upstairs to their rooms to get changed for the day out. When she was finally alone in her room, she opened the envelope and read the contents of the letter from her godfather:

Dear Aliza,

By the time you read this letter, you would have found out about the wizarding world that you belong to. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about it earlier. Please understand that it was for your brother's safety and in turn yours that I was withheld from revealing this important information to you. I have seen to it that we will be going to Diagon Alley together to purchase your school supplies. I will be waiting at Gringotts for you.

Your godfather,  
Severus Snape

Uncle Sev? All this time she knew him and he was her godfather? She was elated. She couldn't think of anyone else more perfect than Uncle Severus to be her godfather. With a skip in her step, Aliza made her way down to the drawing room, ready to see the sights and sounds of the curious magical world.

"Here, grab on tight and don't let go until I tell you to," McGonagall said, holding out her hands for the two Potters to take. As soon as they grabbed on, McGonagall apparated them to Diagon Alley. The feeling was most peculiar. Aliza felt like she was being sucked into another place and she was definitely woozy by the time her feet found level ground again. "Here we are!"

Aliza opened her eyes, which she had closed tight when the world began spinning, and took in the long path of oddly shaped buildings with vibrant colours in front of her. Harry stood beside her with an open mouth and wide eyes as he took in the unusual sight.

McGonagall chuckled at their faces and began leading them to an imposing white building that towered above the other shops. It had a grand white staircase leading up to a set of beautiful bronze doors. They entered those doors and walked through the marble floored entrance hall to another set of silver doors. On the silver doors were engraved the words:

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_  
 _Of what awaits the sin of greed_  
 _For those who take, but do not earn,_  
 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._  
 _So if you seek beneath our floors_  
 _A treasure that was never yours,_  
 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_  
 _Of finding more than treasure there._

"Where are we?" Harry asked, examining the words on the door beside Aliza.

"This is Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the only kind in the whole of Britain." McGonagall enlightened them. "It is run by goblins, which explains the warning engraved here. No sane witch or wizard ever steals from goblins."

"Gringotts?" Aliza looked around at the sound of the name, as if expecting to see a black haired male around a corner at any moment.

"Come now, we'll get your galleons before you meet with him," McGonagall said, giving her a knowing look.

They walked through a long marble hall flanked by rows and rows of goblins busy at work, scratching away on parchment with their quills. At the end of the vast hallway was a goblin who looked down at them intimidatingly. "What business do you have?" the goblin asked.

"We're here to access the Potter vault. Here's the key," McGonagall handed a small metal key to the goblin.

The goblin reached out to take it and examined it carefully before asking them to follow him. The ride down to the vaults was the most fun Aliza and Harry ever had in their lives. Professor McGonagall didn't appreciate it as much as they did, though. She left the cart looking extremely green and queasy. The Potter twins were amazed at the amount of gold they had in the vault. It was enough to last both of them a lifetime! They grabbed a handful of gold, silver and bronze coins before leaving the vault. On the way out of the maze of vaults, McGonagall explained to them the wizarding currency and how Gringotts changed muggle money for wizard coins too. When they exited the bank, Aliza spotted a tall figure with a crooked nose at the end of the staircase.

"Uncle Sev!" she exclaimed excitedly, running down the stairs and hugging her godfather. He seemed taken aback at the act of affection and awkwardly patted Aliza on her back. Aliza didn't mind one bit. Severus wasn't big on physical affection anyway. "Harry, do you want to join us?" Aliza asked, turning around to face her brother.

Harry took one look at Severus Snape and shook his head. Snape was giving Harry a very calculative look that made him feel very defensive of himself. "It's alright, Liz. I'll see you at home when we're done," he replied, flashing her a smile. He glanced at Snape and gave him a hesitant smile as well.

Severus gave Harry and McGonagall a nod each and left with Aliza in tow. He didn't know what he was expecting from Harry. He looked so much like Potter, just like how Aliza looked just like Lily. But they both had Potter's black hair and Lily's bright, green eyes. The shy smile Harry gave him was definitely a surprise, what with the distrustful gaze he had fixed Harry with. Perhaps he wouldn't be as bad as that James was after all.

"So how are you taking all this, Aliza?" he asked.

"How do I put this... I'm extremely thrilled yet intrigued and definitely very puzzled right now," she replied. Severus gave her an amused smile, which surprised both of them.

"Puzzled? What for?" he asked, manoeuvring through the crowd.

"Well, the mystery of Harry being the Boy Who Lived makes me very confused. But I supposed I need to learn more about this world first before I can tackle that puzzle," she deftly avoided knocking into a woman with brilliantly red hair who had a stack of books piled high in her arms. Her son was bugging her about the latest broomstick, the Nimbus Two Thousand. "Tell me about yourself, Uncle Sev. The magical side."

"I'm a potions professor at Hogwarts and head of Slytherin house."

"Slytherin house?"

"Yes, at Hogwarts there are four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The first thing they do when you arrive is to sort you into your house. They'll be like a family to you in your seven years there," he placed a hand on Aliza's back, guiding her gently through the ever increasing throng of people.

"What house do you think I'll be in?" she asked.

He looked at her with a carefully blank expression before replying slowly, as if trying to use the right words, "Both your parents were in Gryffindor. Despite that, I think you'd make a fine Slytherin. But no matter what, I'll be proud of you regardless of what house you're sorted into."

His words produced a warm feeling in Aliza's chest. No one had ever said that they were proud of her no matter what. It seemed like something her mother or father would have said if they were still alive. They stopped in front of a shop with the words 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' above the door.

"First," Severus said as they stepped through the door. "Your wand."


	3. Chapter 2: The Malfoys

**A/N:** Really sorry for taking so long to update! I like long chapters so I typically spend a longer time to write them. Hope you enjoy this chapter though!

 **Disclaimer** **:** I don't own Harry Potter! It's all Rowling

* * *

The shop was dark and dusty, and looked centuries old. Long, thin cases lined the many shelves on the walls, leaving only a small square of space laden with books opposite a wooden counter. Severus took a seat at a chair at the corner of the shop and away from the clutter. A white haired man emerged behind a row of shelves at the sound of the chime on the door.

"Ah, Aliza Potter. I've been expecting you," his voice had an air of mystery and allure around it that seemed very mystical to Aliza. "You look so much like Lily but with James' black hair, yes. It seems like only yesterday that they came in looking for their first wand. Your mother had a wand made of willow, ten and a quarter inches long and swishy, great for charm work. Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand, eleven inches, pliable. Excellent for transfiguration. Well, I said your father favoured it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course. Now-"

The man, whom Aliza assumed was Mr. Ollivander, ducked below the counter to retrieve a wand case. He placed it on the countertop and opened it for Aliza to see. "Beech. Twelve and a half inches. Reasonably pliant with a unicorn hair core."

Aliza picked it up and admired the woodwork on the wand. "Go on, give it a flick," Mr. Ollivander urged. Aliza waved it in the air only to find, to her horror, a couple of wand cases from the shelf behind the counter to fall to the ground. "No, no, this won't do," the wand crafter muttered before turning around to pick another wand. This time, it was a hazel wand with a dragon heartstring core, nine inches long, unyielding. It didn't seem to like her either because it caused all the candles in the room to extinguish.

After a few more wands, Mr. Ollivander procured a wand that interested Aliza. This one was beautiful. Engraved on the wood were ivy patterns that circled around the bottom to form the handle. "I have a good feeling about this beauty. Acacia wood, ten and three quarter inches, nice and supple with a dragon heartstring core."

She waved it in the air and silver and gold sparks shot out of the tip. "Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed with a bright smile. After paying for the wand and an additional wand holster with 14 galleons, Aliza exited Ollivanders with a satisfied smile. "Where are we headed now?" she asked.

"Madam Malkin's. You need to get new school robes," Severus replied, guiding her along.

They bumped into Professor McGonagall and Harry outside of Madam Malkin's. After a brief catch up and a wave goodbye, the pair stepped into the robe shop. "First year at Hogwarts?" a plump lady who was fitting a blond boy asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Aliza said, studying the boy. He had a pale complexion with a very pointed face and was looking very bored.

"Come, there's an empty stool over here," she instructed. Aliza moved to stand atop the stool beside the boy. A second witch slipped a long robe over her and started pinning it to the perfect size.

"Good afternoon, Draco," Severus greeted the boy.

"Uncle Severus! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, only just noticing someone else's presence.

"I'm doing fine, thank you," Severus replied, causing Draco's face to turn pink. "I'm helping my goddaughter purchase her school supplies. Draco, this is Aliza Potter. Aliza, Draco Malfoy."

"Pleased to meet you," Draco said with a nod in her direction. "I do apologise for my rudeness, but I can't exactly move my hands for a handshake right now."

"It's alright," Aliza grinned. "How do you know Uncle Sev?"

"My parents are good friends with him so I grew up with him visiting the manor every so often," he replied as Severus excused himself to go purchase Aliza's school books.

"The manor?" she inquired.

"Yes, the Malfoy Manor. It's been in the family for generations now," he said, puffing out his chest rather comically. "You see, the Malfoys are a great wizarding family with a long line of purebloods."

Aliza stifled a laugh at the way Draco expressed his pride. "What's so funny?" he demanded, looking offended.

"I'm...terribly sor-sorry," she gasped in between giggles. Draco only looked more offended so she used all her will to stop laughing. "Oh, come on, don't look at me like that. I'm sorry!"

Draco only turned his head the other way in response. "You did look rather cute, if that makes it any better," she said, giving him her most charming smile. Draco turned slightly pink at that comment but stopped turning away from her.

"So, what do you have left to get?" he asked.

"My books and stationary. But Uncle Sev's taking care of that."

"My parents are getting my books too. Perhaps they'll bump into one another. Do you think you'll get a broom? I know first years aren't supposed to have one, but that's not going to stop me from getting one."

"A broom, huh," Aliza thought out loud. "Why'd you insist on purchasing one?"

"Because of Quidditch, of course!" Draco exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Aliza only looked at him quizzically. "Merlin, you've never heard of Quidditch! Let me tell you..."

Aliza spent the next ten minutes listening to Draco talk about quidditch and the Tutshill Tornadoes, who he claimed was only the best quidditch team in the whole of wizarding Britain before Severus walked in with a couple who had the same distinct white blonde hair as Draco.

"Hello Uncle Sev!" Aliza cheerfully greeted, thankful for the interruption.

"Father! Mother! I was just tellin-" Draco said, about to launch right back into his lecture.

"I'm sure your story was extremely exciting, Draco, but don't you think you should be introducing us to your new friend?" Mrs. Malfoy said. Aliza breathed a sigh of relief at her words. Her ears were about to bleed with all the quidditch talk.

"Ah yes, sorry," Draco turned pink for the third time that day. "Mother, Father, this is Aliza Potter. Aliza, meet my parents, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Aliza greeted from where she stood on the stool.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Potter," Lucius said while Narcissa gave her a sweet smile.

"Please, call me Aliza," she said. Madam Malkin then announced that their measurements were done and that their robes would be ready in a few moments.

"Could we please look at some brooms, Father?" Draco pleaded with Lucius.

Lucius sighed heavily as if he'd been through this a million times. "Draco, you're not allowed to bring a broom to school."

"But-"

"This is the last time I'm going to hear that question from you or you won't be getting a broom for the next two years!" he warned as Madam Malkin returned with their new school robes.

"I apologise for that, dear," Narcissa said beside Aliza. "Draco isn't usually so whiny. It's just unfortunate that he'll do anything for the valiant sport of quidditch."

"It's quite alright, Mrs. Malfoy," Aliza replied, stepping out of the store with the rest. "Do you like the sport?"

"I do enjoy watching people play quidditch, but it's not quite my cup of tea," she said. "I prefer gardening."

"What's your favourite flower?" Aliza asked.

"Lilies. They brighten up the otherwise bleak manor," she said, smiling at the thought. "I have to owe it to Severus though. He convinced me to first plant them." She looked to Severus, who was explaining to Draco about what was on the other side of a window at the Apothecary.

"It's getting rather late, gentlemen," Narcissa said to the wizards in front of her. She turned to Aliza and said, "We'll see you on the first of September at the platform. I'm sure it will be rather easy to locate us."

"I look forward to seeing you again," she replied as the Malfoys disappeared into the crowd.

"Come, it's time to go home," Severus extended a hand towards her.

"I wouldn't call it home, Uncle Sev," Aliza said, not taking his hand. "You will think about it, won't you?"

"It's a bit more complicated than you think, Aliza," he replied. "But I'll see what I can do. You have to speak with your brother first."

Aliza grinned and said, "I will." And she grabbed his hand.

* * *

"Harry!" Aliza yelled, running into the boys' room. "Harry, wake up! It's today!"

A lump wrapped in blankets groaned and stirred in his bed. "Come on, Harry! Honestly, stop being such a pig or I'll turn you into one!" Aliza threatened.

"You don't know how to do that," Harry countered, still covered in his blankets.

"What makes you so sure, Harry? Unlike you, I've been spending the last few weeks reading our textbooks and educating myself about wizarding culture," she admonished. "Besides, I did offer you the extra reading material on culture and tradition that Uncle Severus got me. You can't say it's unfair, if that's what you're thinking."

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" he sighed, crawling out of his bed.

With a sly smirk, Aliza turned and walked out of the room saying, "Just so you know, I don't know the spell to turn you into a pig." She could almost feel his glare burning into her back.

Before they knew it, Mrs. Gardner was dropping them off at Kings Cross Station. She didn't have time to send them off because she was rushing to get back to the orphanage for an appointment with a family of three. In her haste, she completely forgot to tell them how to get to platform nine and three quarters. They had been wandering around platform nine and ten for ages now, looking very peculiar with Harry's snowy owl called Hedwig perched in a cage atop his belongings. They had almost given up hope when Harry tugged Aliza towards a family with flaming red hair who were muttering about Muggles.

The plump lady who Aliza assumed was their mother, was instructing one of her sons to go while trying to pacify her only daughter who was bugging her about something. What looked like the oldest boy began to march towards the dividing barrier between platforms nine and ten, and in an instant, he disappeared. The twins looked at each other, dumbfounded. What had he done to disappear? It didn't look like apparition.

They observed once more as the twin boys ran towards the barrier and disappeared as well. Was running towards the barrier the solution, then? They must have been staring too long because before the last boy could run in, his mother caught sight of them.

"Hello, do you need some help?" she asked kindly. "Ron's in his first year at Hogwarts too." The boy was tall and gangly, with freckles and a long nose.

"Yes, but we haven't the slightest clue how to get to the platform," Harry replied.

"Oh, no worries dear, just walk straight towards the barrier over here. It's best to do it with a bit of speed if you're nervous," she said, pointing towards the barrier the three boys had disappeared into. "Go on, you can both go before Ron does."

They looked at each other, silently debating who should go first. Harry finally relented and with a nervous breath, ran towards the wall and vanished. It was now Aliza's turn and she took a deep breath before running after her brother. As she emerged from the other side of the barrier, she was immediately greeted with a large red steam engine and hundreds and hundreds of people, young and old. She looked back at the barrier where the tall boy just came through and smiled at him. She tugged Harry back and muttered something about manners to him before he turned around and waited for the kind lady and her daughter to come through the barrier.

When she arrived at last, Aliza thanked her for her help and introduced herself and Harry. When she said Harry's name, the young girl immediately turned a shade of scarlet red and stared at Harry with wide eyes.

"Harry Potter?" the boy said in awe. "Wow, you're the Boy Who Lived!" His eyes roamed up to Harry's forehead where his lightning scar was hidden behind his hair.

"Hello Harry and Aliza, I'm Mrs. Weasley and this is my son, Ron, and daughter, Ginny. I believe you saw the twins just now, Fred and George, as well as my other son, Percy," Mrs. Weasley said. "Now you three best be off, you shouldn't be missing the train."

The three first years waved Mrs. Weasley and Ginny goodbye and made their way through the crowded platform. Aliza spotted a mess of white blond hair at the carriage next to the one that Harry was boarding with Ron and the twins. "Harry, I'm going to look for a friend, don't wait up for me!" she said, pushing through the throng of people again.

When the Malfoys saw her, they immediately burst into smiles. "Aliza! I almost thought you wouldn't make it," Narcissa said, giving her a hug. "You should board the train now, it'll be leaving any moment."

With the help of Draco and another boy who was waiting at the train door, Aliza managed to get all her belongings onto the carriage. "Thank you, Draco, and you too," Aliza said, turning towards the boy. He had a dark complexion with black hair that was neatly cropped. Aliza reached out a hand, "I'm Aliza Potter."

To her surprise, the boy bowed extravagantly and kissed the back of her outstretched hand. "Pleased to meet you, Aliza," he said with a very charming smile. "I'm Blaise. Blaise Zabini."

Draco rolled his eyes at the sight. "Stop making a fool of yourself," he said. "Have you seen Pansy?"

"It's called the art of charming a girl, Draco," he pointed out. "And yes, she's off looking for an empty compartment for us. Come on, let's go." As they set off down the corridor, the train started to move. Blaise led them past compartments filled with students before stopping at one with a black haired girl inside. She put a book she had been reading down when they stepped in.

"Hello Draco, Blaise, and who's this?" she asked raising an eyebrow at Aliza and looking her up and down, as if assessing her. Aliza didn't know whether to be offended at her outright judgement.

"This is my friend, Aliza Potter," Draco said, taking a seat beside Blaise.

"Potter?" she said with a slight sneer. "So you're the twin sister of Harry Potter that no one talks about."

Aliza was very certainly offended now. "Excuse me?" she said. "I'll have you know that even though I'm not the Boy Who Lived, I can cast spells much better than he can!"

Blaise whistled at Aliza's outburst. "She's a feisty one," he said under his breath, earning a glare from Aliza.

"That's a huge statement to make, _Lizzy_ ," Pansy taunted. "We'll soon see how much of it is true, won't we?" And with a smirk, she picked up her book again.

Aliza looked at the two boys opposite Pansy, silently willing them to move so she wouldn't have to sit beside the horrid girl. They glanced at Pansy before looking at each other, having a conversation without words when at last, Draco stood up and pulled Aliza out of the compartment.

"I'm really sorry, Allie," Draco said. Aliza thought the way he called her was really cute. "She's usually pretty mean towards people she doesn't know so don't let her get to you so much. I'm sure she'll warm up to you sooner or later."

He stopped in front of a compartment before turning towards her again. "Did you mean what you said about your brother?" he asked with a blank expression that reminded her strongly of Severus.

Aliza thought about it for a while. "I love my brother, Draco. But he can be very predictable once you get to know him," she replied.

Draco nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer and opened the compartment door to reveal two burly boys playing what appeared to be exploding snap, which she read about in one of the books Severus had gotten her. Draco cleared his throat when the boys didn't seem to notice them standing at the door. The rounder boy's cards exploded right when they both turned to look at the pair at the door, filling the compartment with smoke.

"Er...Hi Draco," the other boy with broad shoulders spoke.

Draco coughed and waved away the smoke that was building up in the compartment. "Hello Greg, hi Vince," he said. "Meet Aliza Potter." He gestured towards her.

She waved and extended a hand for them to shake. "Nice to meet you boys."

"Potter? As in Harry Potter's sister?" The round boy said in wonder.

The other boy elbowed him and reached out to grab her hand. "Hello Aliza, I'm Gregory Goyle. And _this_ ," he looked pointedly at the round boy, "is Vincent Crabbe."

"Come, let's go see if we can find Harry Potter," Draco said, gesturing for them to leave the compartment.

"Why do you want to find him?" Aliza asked as they walked down the different compartments, peeking into the windows to see if they could spot him.

"You've met my friends, so I think it's only fair I meet yours," Draco replied, distractedly looking into a compartment. Aliza just stared silently at him. She had a gut feeling that he wasn't telling the truth. He seemed to sense her eyes on him because he looked up from searching the train to meet her pointed stare. He sighed before relenting, "Father says it would be a good idea to make a... _good impression_ on the Boy Who Lived." He ended his sentence with a dramatic flourish of his hand. Aliza chuckled at his actions and continued down the corridor.

"I read about the Malfoys in a book, you know. You're part of the sacred twenty-eight. Really big on blood purity and the like," Aliza stated, observing Draco's expressions which he kept carefully blank once she mentioned the sacred twenty-eight. "The name Malfoy also appeared in a list of Death Eaters who served You-Know-Who in the war that took my parents."

Draco was avoiding her gaze and had stopped in the middle of the corridor. Gregory and Vincent, noticing the tension, kept their distance from the pair.

"I can't blame your father, though. He _was_ put under the imperius after all," she paused for a moment. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but your father thinks Harry can be a more powerful Dark Lord."

"What is your point, Aliza?" Draco asked, his tone cold.

"I don't think Harry has it in him," she said simply.

Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"The last thing he wants to be is another Voldemort," Draco flinched at the name and stared at Aliza with an expression mixed with awe and horror. "Trust me, I'm his sister."

"But- I- This-" Draco stammered, trying to recover from Aliza's unexpected answers.

"It's alright, go on and try to get him on your side. Perhaps I'm wrong about him," she said, nudging him towards the compartment beside them.

Draco gathered his bearings and gestured for Gregory and Vincent to follow him as he opened the compartment door. Aliza carefully kept hidden from view as Draco introduced himself. She heard a distinct snigger from the compartment when Draco said his name and thought that it was terribly rude of the boy, whoever it was.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford," Draco sneered. Aliza thought that was pretty harsh for a snigger, but couldn't deny that he deserved it. Draco turned to Harry and said, "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's but it seemed that Harry didn't take it because his voice rang through the compartment a second later. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said.

Aliza smiled fondly, her brother and her were worlds apart when it came to the company they kept. Of course, it still didn't change the fact that they loved each other. The sound of a metal cart on wheels distracted Aliza for a second. A lady pushing a trolley filled with candy and chocolates was making her way down the corridor. It wouldn't do to attract unnecessary attention so she coughed ever so slightly to warn Draco.

"You should be glad I'm on good terms with your sister, Potter, or you'd have to be much more careful," Draco sneered before marching off with Gregory and Vincent.

Aliza smirked as she caught up with the trio. "I told you so," she said triumphantly. Draco rolled his eyes but couldn't contain the smile on his face as they walked back to their compartment. They spent the rest of the ride playing exploding snap and eating snacks that they purchased from the trolley lady. It wasn't long before the train started to slow to a stop at the station.

The three boys and Aliza were pulling on their black school robes when a voice echoed through the train, informing them that their luggages would be taken to the school separately. Aliza was feeling slightly nervous and excited about the new school. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before following the three boys out the compartment door. They alighted from the train and onto a tiny platform where throngs of students were already rushing to a long line of carriages that seemed to be pulling themselves.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" a large man with an equally large beard was yelling over the crowd.

"That's Hagrid. My father says he's a half giant who got expelled from Hogwarts but stayed on as a servant of sorts," Draco said to Aliza as they made their way to the large man. Pansy and Blaise were already there and were engaged in an intense conversation about leather boots and their fashionability. They barely acknowledged Draco and Aliza.

After another minute of waiting, Hagrid started to walk down a steep and narrow path, shouting for them to follow him. Thy arrived at a large black lake that was so still that it mirrored the night sky. On the other side of the vast lake was a castle with numerous towers and turrets. It was the same castle that as on the cover of Hogwarts: A History.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a number of boats on the bank of the lake. Draco and Aliza clambered into a boat with Pansy and Blaise and with a tap of his umbrella, Hagrid set them gliding across the lake. In just a few minutes, they had arrived at a cave of sorts in the rock. They followed Hagrid to a grassy field behind the castle and up a flight of stone stairs. They gathered around a pair of large oak doors as Hagrid knocked thrice.

The door swung open immediately to reveal Professor McGonagall, who briefly introduced herself before leading the first years through the grand entrance hall. Aliza gaped at the sheer size of it. It looked magnificent with the many portraits on the walls that were moving and flame torches lighting their way to a set of beautiful marble stairs. McGonagall led them up the flight of stairs and stopped inside a small chamber. She gave an introduction about the four houses and house points, and briefly mentioned the sorting ceremony before she left the room.

Aliza excused herself from her new-found friends in search of her brother whom she saw with the boy with fiery red hair. What was his name again? Roland?

"Harry!" she exclaimed once she found him looking extremely nervous and pale. "How was the train ride here?"

"Aliza! It was good, thanks for asking," he replied, wiping his damp hands on his robe. "Though there was this boy who almost started a fight with me and Ron."

Right, that was his name. "You don't mean Draco, do you?" she asked.

"I do, actually," Harry said, adjusting his round spectacles. "How do you know him? He mentioned you in our... conversation."

"I met him at Diagon Alley. His parents are an old friend of Uncle Sev's."

"I don't like him," Harry said bluntly.

"Well, that's a pity," Aliza grinned. "I think he and his family are nice." Harry only rolled his eyes. While he felt that Aliza should think well of his friends, Aliza didn't seem to think that it was important for him to accept her friends.

"Don't be so restless, Harry," Aliza nudged him. "Loosen up, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Fine? You've read up on spells while I haven't. I don't even what tests they'll put us through, and in front of the school!" Harry exclaimed, clearly expecting the worse.

Aliza chuckled at his dramatic proclamation. "You do know that it's just a hat they place on your head, right?" Draco had filled her in on the ceremony during the train ride.

"What? You're sure?" Harry asked skeptically.

Aliza nodded with a reassuring smile. "What house do you think you'll be in?" she asked.

"I think I'm going to be a Hufflepuff for sure," he said. "Anything but Slytherin would be great, actually."

Aliza frowned at that. She had wanted to be in Slytherin after discovering Severus was the head of that house and after reading up on the attributes and qualities of a Slytherin.

"Ron says there isn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin," Harry was saying. "Besides, You-Know-Who was a Slytherin himself."

"Interesting thought, Harry," Aliza said. "What if I was sorted there? What would you do?"

"Liz, there's not a chance you'd turn bad. But if you do become a Slytherin, you know I'll love you just the same," Harry smiled.

Aliza smiled back at her brother. "Well, dear brother, I hold you to your word!" she said. "I think you just might be a Gryffindor, though."

Before Harry could respond, McGonagall was back and announcing the start of the ceremony. She pushed open the oak doors in front of them to reveal a great hall with thousands of students seated inside. With a deep breath, she held Harry's shaking hand in hers and followed McGonagall's lead.


	4. Chapter 3: The Beginnings of A Mystery

**A/N(IMPT):** I didn't realise that **I posted an incomplete work for the previous chapter** so I'm really sorry about that. It picks up from the train station to the point where they enter the Great Hall, which is where this chapter starts. If you haven't read that part, please do read it before starting this chapter! Anywho, here's an early update because I really took way too long to post the previous chapter. A gazillion things happen here but I didn't want to repeat many things already mentioned in the books. Hope you enjoy it and please do leave a review!

 **Disclaimer** **:** Everything except any original characters and original plot belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me!

* * *

The Great Hall was, as its name suggests, great. There were four extremely long tables that represented each of the four houses and another long table at the end of the hall that housed the staff members. Above their heads were a thousand floating candles that lit up the hall. The ceiling looked like it wasn't there at all because it was charmed to look like the sky outside, according to the girl with bushy hair who was walking in front of Harry and Aliza. Harry later told Aliza that her name was Hermione Granger and that she was a rather obnoxious little girl.

They stopped in a crowd in front of the staff table, before which was a stool with a pointed hat atop it. When the first years had settled in front of the hat, it began to sing through a rip above the brim. It sang about the four houses and was met with a resounding applause at the end. It wasn't long before the sorting began.

Hannah Abbot was the first student to get sorted, followed by Susan Bones. They both ended up in Hufflepuff. Down the line were Vincent and Gregory, who were both sorted into Slytherin. After Gregory was Hermione Granger, who was sorted into Gryffindor. It was soon Draco's turn to be sorted. The hat had barely touched his head when it shouted Slytherin across the hall. He had a smug smile on his face as he walked off to join Vincent and Gregory at the Slytherin table.

Theodore Nott and Pansy were sorted into Slytherin not long after and all too soon, Aliza heard her name being called. At the sound of the name 'Potter', the whole hall had fallen into hushed whispers of "It's Potter!" and "Harry Potter's twin sister!". Aliza gave Harry's hand one last squeeze before walking up to the stool with her shoulders back. She flashed a smile at McGonagall as she placed the hat atop her head and almost immediately, voice that seemed to be her conscience filled her head.

"Well, well, well," it said. "What do we have here? A complex mind that thinks far ahead, it seems. Ravenclaw would be a fine fit."

Her eyes roamed to the Slytherin table where she briefly made eye contact with Pansy before locking eyes with Draco, who was smiling at her.

"Oh, but there is a craftiness about you... A desire to be the best. A loyalty to friends that you hold dear to you, yes... Slytherin would be excellent, if that's what you wish for..."

Aliza returned the smile as the hat shouted 'Slytherin!' to the crowd of students. She rose from the stool and walked confidently to the Slytherin table. Many students at the table held expressions of surprise at the fact that a Potter, and the sister of the Boy Who Lived, no less, had been sorted into their house. The delayed applause only came when she arrived at the head of the table and made her way down to the end where Draco and Pansy were seated.

"Fancy seeing you here," Pansy said by way of greeting before turning her attention back to the sorting. Theodore was seated on her left, reading a book under the table. He didn't bother to acknowledge anyone or anything at all, really. Aliza sat down next to Draco but barely had time to say anything before Harry's name was called. At his name, the whispers in the hall rose to buzzing murmurs. The hat was placed on his head as he sat down on the stool. He nervously glanced at the Slytherin table, eyes roaming before pausing at Aliza.

Aliza gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile and tried her best to tell him without words that it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he didn't wish to be in the same house as her. Despite being twins, they were two different people and perhaps this was where their paths diverge from each other.

The sorting hat's rip opened ever so slightly and the whole hall fell silent in anticipation of the hat's next word. "Gryffindor!"

At this, the Gryffindor table roared into a resounding applause. Harry couldn't contain his broad grin as he walked to the end of the table. When he took a seat, he looked at Aliza again and gave her one of the happiest smile she had ever seen on him. She gave a cheeky smirk and a look that had 'I told you so' written all over it.

Ron Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor and at last, Blaise, who was the last person to be sorted, was declared a Slytherin. He joined Aliza, Pansy and Draco at the table before Dumbledore, the wizened headmaster of Hogwarts, stepped up to the podium and began the welcoming feast with four odd words.

The food was amazing and could very well be on par with Mrs. Gardner's cooking. Aliza wondered what the orphanage children were doing right now and whether they were even still there. She was lost in thought when Draco nudged her.

"What?"

"I _said_ ," Pansy repeated, slightly annoyed. "Where did you and your brother disappear off to all these years?"

"Well," Aliza paused, thinking of whether she should go into any kind of detail or not. "We grew up in an orphanage."

"An orphanage? So you grew up with muggles," she said rather than asked. Aliza nodded and Blaise asked another question. "What are they like?"

"They're pretty much like me and you, just without any magic," she replied. "They don't keep promises too well, though."

"Must be pretty nasty living with such filth every day," Draco said with a disgusted frown.

"It's not that bad. You just don't get too close to them."

"What's Potter's views on muggles?" Pansy asked, eyeing the Gryffindor table, who were making a ruckus about their house ghost.

"I can't say for sure, but he probably thinks them as equals. We did grow up thinking we were muggles after all."

"How do you think he survived the killing curse and defeated the Dark Lord?" Blaise asked.

"I don't think Harry actually defeated the Dark Lord," Theodore suddenly said from his seat beside Pansy.

" _Harry_? What is he," Draco snarled. "Your friend?"

Blaise rolled his eyes at the blond boy before turning to Theo. "Care to elaborate?"

"Do you honestly think a child could defeat the most powerful dark wizard the world has ever seen?" Theo asked mildly.

The conversation ended there because Dumbledore had stood once more and begun establishing some rules with the school. What Theo had said hung in the air as they followed the Slytherin prefect back to their dorms in the dungeons.

"What do you reckon Dumbledore's hiding in the third-floor corridor?" A fellow Slytherin nudged Aliza.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "A huge beast?"

"I think there's a poisonous plant growing there. Something like a trap of sorts," she said. "I'm Daphne, by the way. Daphne Greengrass." She extended her hand and Aliza reached out to shake it.

"Aliza Potter, though I think you already know that," Aliza smiled.

"Alright, here's the password for this week," the prefect was saying when they came to a stop in front of a stone wall. "Ambitre."

The stone wall slid back to reveal an entrance that was elegantly decorated. One by one, the Slytherins all stepped into the common room. Aliza loved it at once despite the chill. A lush green carpet was lain on the floor with silver and emerald couches and armchairs strewn neatly across the room. The fireplace, which was burning weakly, was decorated with intricately carved patterns. On the wall opposite the fireplace was a large bookcase that spanned the entire wall. Beside the bookcase were a set of stone stairs that led further down into the dungeons. What amazed the first years most, though, was the huge glass wall that enabled them to see into the great lake. The moonlight cast a beautiful shadow through the lake and into the common room.

"Your dorms are down those set of stairs. Boys on the left and girls on the right," the prefect said. "Before you leave for bed, Professor Snape would like to address you."

At that moment, Snape entered the common room and silently scrutinised the new Slytherins. His eyes fell on Aliza and she thought she saw them soften just a tiny bit.

"I will cut to the chase with you. Slytherins do not have the best reputation in this school. We stick together and look out for one another. Any disagreements stay in the common room or I will personally sort it out. Understood?" he asked, gaze sweeping over each and every student before turning towards the open door. "And please be prepared for your lessons. We don't want to be losing our winning streak for the house cup."

Aliza lay in bed that night reading books she found in the common room about the first wizarding war and the killing curse. They weren't much and didn't answer many questions she had. Something happened that night that made the killing curse ineffective on Harry, resulting in the mysterious disappearance of Lord Voldemort. And Aliza was going to get to the bottom of it.

000

"Mr Potter," Snape said loudly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked up sharply and turned to Weasley silently for help but Weasley seemed just as lost. Granger, who was seated beside Longbottom, raised her hand high in the air.

"I don't know, sir," Harry replied. Snape kept his gaze on Harry and asked him where he could find a bezoar. Granger's hand, if it was even possible, stretched higher in the air. Aliza raised an eyebrow at the bushy haired Gryffindor and turned to Pansy, who was seated beside her. Pansy looked at Granger and gave her a dirty look. At least this was something they could agree on.

Behind them, Draco was snickering quite loudly beside Blaise. Harry once again admitted he didn't know the answer and Aliza felt slightly disappointed in her brother. If he had just read the first chapter of the potions textbook like she did, he would know all the answers.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh Potter?" Snape taunted. Uncle Sev definitely had something against Harry now, which made Aliza feel even more disappointed. She had hoped that Uncle Sev would think positively of Harry and perhaps even treat him like he would treat her. But that didn't seem like it was going to happen.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape pressed.

"I don't know. I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" Harry said.

Aliza couldn't believe how stupid her brother could get. Gryffindor lost a house point for that, and Aliza was secretly relieved she wasn't in the same house as Harry. Losing points on the first day of classes wasn't the best first impression.

Potions went smoothly for the Slytherins. Aliza thought brewing potions was very much like baking with Uncle Sev. Modifying the potion sometimes brought about better results. It was just a pity Aliza couldn't remember much about what the different ingredients did. Perhaps with practice, she could do exceedingly well in this subject.

During dinner later that day, Aliza went over to the Gryffindor table to speak to Harry. "Don't mind me," she said, sitting beside Harry. A few Gryffindors gave her dirty looks and she shot them deadly glares in return. "How's my brother doing?"

"What's a _Slytherin_ like you doing here?" Weasley spat.

"I wasn't talking to you, _Weasel_ ," she shot back.

"Stop it, both of you," Harry said loudly. "She's my sister, Ron. She just wants to speak to me."

Aliza's hateful look turned into a triumphant smirk as she turned back to Harry. "I hope potions didn't dampen your day," she said lightly.

"Oh, it sure didn't," Harry said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"He's not usually like that, you know," Aliza said. "I don't know why he hates you so much."

"Are you sure it isn't the red robes?"

"Perhaps it's for the best," Aliza looked Harry up and down. "You'd look horrible in green."

"You do know we look alike, don't you?"

"Ah, but you see, I don't have that terribly dreadful hair of yours."

"Hey!" He smacked her playfully on the arm as she laughed.

"Harry?" Aliza asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Hmm?"

"Suppose I don't go back to the orphanage next year. Suppose I... leave... Would you hate me for not bringing you along?"

Harry didn't reply for what seemed like hours to Aliza. She knew she wanted to leave and stay with Uncle Sev. But she also knew neither Uncle Sev nor Harry would ever agree to live with each other.

Harry turned to look Aliza in the eye. "We're two very different people, Aliza. I think you, of all people, would know that better than even me," he said. "You may be a Slytherin and me a Gryffindor. But we're still Potters and that's really all that mat-"

"Oh cut the long speech, Harry." Aliza rolled her eyes playfully with a smile.

"What I meant to say, is that I could never hate you."

I could never hate you.

 _I could never hate you._

000

Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Daphne and Aliza were seated by the fire a few days after the first potions lesson. Theo was seated in an armchair nearby but was absorbed in a book.

"You're not actually going to turn up for the duel, are you?" Aliza asked Draco. Draco had challenged Harry to a wizard duel during dinner earlier that day. He'd been furious to learn of Harry's achievement of being the youngest seeker in about a century.

"Of course not," Draco scoffed. "The plan is to get him caught out of the common room after curfew."

"You really think he'll fall for that?" Blaise asked.

"He will," Pansy answered. They all looked at her quizzically.

"Gryffindor pride," she shrugged before going back to filing her nails.

"She's brought up a valid and brilliant point," Aliza said, earning a raised brow from Pansy. She was still slightly hostile towards Aliza, but things were getting better between them. "Besides, he likes to prove himself in the most reckless of manners."

"I don't understand how you're okay with this, Aliza," Daphne said, looking up from her fashion magazine. "He _is_ your brother and you're letting him run headfirst into a trap."

"He may be my brother but that doesn't make me accountable for everything he does," Aliza felt slightly annoyed at how everyone kept bringing up her connection to Harry. They were two different people. _Very_ different people. "In any case, it's all harmless fun."

"Somebody understands!" Draco exclaimed dramatically.

They spent the rest of the night chatting about all sorts of things. Theo even joined in on the conversation when they started talking about the gringotts vault that was broken into a few weeks earlier. Aliza felt happy and a little less lonely for the first time in a long while. She missed the joy of having friends.

The next morning didn't go very well for Draco. It appeared that Gryffindor hadn't lost any house points at all last night, and Harry and Ron were in surprisingly high spirits.

"I don't think they got caught, Draco," Vincent said with a mouth full of eggs.

"I think your plan didn't work," Gregory added beside him.

"Speak to me when you _stop_ stating the obvious, dimwits!" Draco seethed beside Aliza. He stood very abruptly a few seconds later with a deathly glint in his eye. "Vince, Greg, it's time to pay the happy fools a visit."

Blaise rolled his eyes as the three Slytherins marched up to the Gryffindor table. It was becoming very common for Draco to drag Vincent and Gregory along for his exploits in causing Harry and his friend trouble. It was like he had an obsession about Harry ever since he rejected his offer of friendship. Draco really did have a lot of pride.

He eventually came back to the table defeated. It appeared that Harry was sent a broom. " _A bloody Nimbus Two Thousand!_ " Draco proclaimed to the whole table. While the table burst into protests at the special and unfair treatment Harry got, Hedwig landed in front of Aliza with a note attached to her leg. She took the note and fed some of her bacon to the owl before opening it. The note was from Harry, asking her to meet him at the quidditch pitch after his practice. He had something rather important and exciting to share, it seemed.

000

Aliza's mind was swirling with countless possibilities. She hadn't believed Harry when she first heard his words. It was absolutely ridiculous yet it still made sense. With this piece of information, a dismissive warning became the corner pieces of a puzzle Aliza was bent on putting together. She was so lost in thought that she almost walked into someone in the corridor. She looked up to apologise but stopped short when she realised who it was.

"Draco!" she started but realised she didn't know how to put her current thoughts into words. "Are you in a hurry somewhere?" she finally asked.

"Not in particular. I was just on the way to the library to return a book," he replied, lifting a book in his hands in indication.

"Great! Let's walk and talk then," Aliza looped her arms through Draco's and began to walk up the stairs leading to the library. "What book is that?"

"The Most Famous and Influential Wizards and Witches of All Time."

"Is that for History of Magic? That essay on Almeric Sawbridge is really a pain in the arse, don't you think?" She scrunched up her face in disgust. Professor Binns didn't make the already boring class any more bearable, which led Aliza to start hating that class.

"It's pretty interesting if you put your mind to it. Trust me, reading the books are much more interesting than listening to that foul ghost drone on and on," Draco drawled with a frown. "So tell me, what were you thinking about so deeply a few moments ago?"

"You know how Harry never got caught for sneaking off after curfew last night?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. He didn't like being reminded of his foiled plan. "If you're not going to tell me that he didn't break his arm after quidditch practice this morning, then save it."

"Even if I tell you that I know what Dumbledore's got hidden in the third-floor corridor?" Aliza smirked when Draco's head whipped around to face her. She knew he couldn't stand knowing anything less than she did. His silence was a clear sign for Aliza to continue speaking.

"Well, to be fair, I don't know exactly what it is except for the fact that a three-headed dog is guarding a trap door and whatever is beyond it."

"A three-headed dog!?" Draco yelled with wide eyes. "I knew that Dumbledore was bonkers but _this_ \- this is on a whole new level!"

"It is, isn't it? What's more, don't you think it's a bit suspicious that someone tried to raid a vault without taking anything a month before school started and Dumbledore announced the forbidden corridor?" Aliza rambled on. "I know it seems a bit farfetched, but Harry did mention that Hagrid had told him about a special mission Dumbledore had sent him on at Gringotts during the school break. Perhaps may-"

"What you're trying to say," Draco began. "Is that Dumbledore's using the corridor as a sort of vault in replacement of the one at Gringotts which was broken into. Am I right?"

Aliza nodded, thankful that Draco managed to string her long train of thoughts into a single, coherent sentence.

"The question now is what is so important that someone out there would break into Gringotts to find it?" Draco mumbled to himself.

000

Time flew by very quickly and before Aliza knew it, it was Halloween. Everyone was gathered in the Great Hall that night for the grand feast. The hall was fascinatingly decorated with live bats and lit up pumpkins. Magic never ceased to amaze Aliza. At the table, Pansy was sniggering to Blaise and Greg about the crying mudblood in the bathroom and Draco was helping himself to a candy filled pumpkin when Professor Quirrell came bursting through the doors, yelling about a troll in the dungeons before fainting.

At that moment, the whole hall burst into chaos. Dumbledore ordered the students back to their common rooms immediately, but Aliza just looked at the headmaster like he was insane. She was not going to step a foot into the dungeons when there was a troll in there. She looked at Draco, Pansy and Blaise, who were seated closest to her, and it seemed they shared the same sentiment. As the Slytherin prefect led them out of the hall, Aliza pulled them aside and away from the rest of the students.

"Come on, this way!" She hissed before heading off down a deserted corridor.

"Where are we going?" Blaise asked, looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren't seen.

"I don't know," Aliza admitted. "Somewhere we can hide and far from the dungeons, I guess."

" _You don't know?_ Oh, honestly, follow me instead," Pansy said haughtily and pushed past Aliza. They had turned a corner when she suddenly froze and pushed them all back behind the wall. She raised a finger to her lips and they fell deathly silent. Aliza could hear footsteps retreating into the distance and away from them.

"Who was that?" Draco whispered when the footsteps could no longer be heard.

"Professor Quirrell. Except," Pansy paused, brows furrowed. "It didn't seem like him. Isn't he supposed to be passed out in the Great Hall?"

"What do you mean it didn't seem like him?" Blaise asked.

"He didn't just _not_ look sick. He was looking over his shoulder like as if he was wary of getting caught."

"Wary? It's not like he doesn't have the authority to be roaming the halls," Draco scoffed. "Unless..." His eyes widened just a fraction as he turned to Aliza, who was already looking at him with a hint of a smile on her face.

"The third-floor corridor!" They said together.

"Would you two care to explain?" Pansy asked, crossing her arms and Aliza told them all she knew about the third-floor corridor and the conclusion that she and Draco had come to.

"So you're telling me," Blaise said. "That Professor Quirrell is the one after whatever Dumbledore is hiding?"

Draco and Aliza nodded.

"And we're standing here when he's about to get it?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Aliza spoke. "Right," they had been too caught up in the excitement of their discovery that they completely forgot the urgency of the situation. "Well, we certainly aren't going to go after him. Our best course of action right now is to find one of the Professors."

"And who's going to believe us?" Pansy asked.

"Professor Snape," Aliza said. "He'll believe us."

After roaming the halls for about fifteen minutes, they finally found Professor Snape near the Hospital Wing. His leg was clearly injured, however much he tried to hide it.

"Aren't you four supposed to be in the common room?" He droned when he saw them rushing towards him.

"Uncle Sev! What happened to your leg?" Aliza asked, examining his wound.

"I'll be fine, Aliza. I just need to see Madam Pomfrey," he said.

"That's a bite wound, Uncle Severus," Draco said quietly. Aliza stiffened and schooled her face into a blank stare. She looked at Snape, who was looking intently at Draco.

"Excellent observation, Draco," he said sarcastically.

"You didn't happen to be bitten by a three-headed dog, would you?" Aliza asked.

Snape sighed. "You were always thinking and observing too much for your own good," he said with a tired frown. "I'm not the one after the stone, if that's your suspicion. I was merely ensuring its safety."

"We saw Professor Quirrell, sir," Pansy said. "He was acting all suspicious."

"Just what I thought. I ought to speak with him soon. But without solid evidence, we cannot accuse him of anything," Snape said, trailing off and pushing the Infirmary door open. "You'd do well to retire to your common room." And with that, Snape disappeared behind the door.

"A stone?" Blaise asked incredulously as they made their way down to the dungeons. "All this drama for a bloody _stone_?"

"Don't be stupid, Blaise," Pansy said. "There's obviously something special or powerful about this stone. We just have to find out what it is exactly."

"I have to say," Aliza smiled. "I think we did pretty well in fooling Uncle Sev."

"He thinks way too highly of our intelligence," Blaise said.

"Oh no, he doesn't," Draco smirked, a cocky glint in his eye. "After all, we _did_ manage to fool him."

* * *

 **A/N:** And there it is! I'm still in the midst of writing the next chapter, but hopefully I can get it out soon. I'm currently on my school break till April so I should be fairly free to write now. Also, a HUGE thank you to Ryo! Your reviews really encourage me to write better and more often!


	5. Chapter 4: The Christmas Gift

"Harry! Are you alright?" Aliza asked worriedly. She had rushed to the Gryffindor table as soon as she stepped foot into the Great Hall that evening for dinner. Someone had obviously cursed the broom Harry had been riding during the quidditch match earlier that day. Not to mention, someone set Snape's robes on fire, stopping him from muttering his counter-curse. She had spoken to Uncle Sev after the quidditch match about her suspicion that Quirrell was behind the attack. Naturally, Uncle Sev told her to lay low of her accusations while she didn't have any proof.

"I'm fine, Aliza," Harry chuckled. "I mean, we won the match!"

Aliza rolled her eyes at her brother, taking a seat beside him. Honestly, where were his priorities? "Whatever happened out there wasn't normal, Harry."

His expression morphed from cheekiness to seriousness in a second. "I know," he paused, chewing his bottom lip. "Ron and Hermione think it's, well, Professor Snape who was behind it."

"Uncle Sev?" Aliza laughed. "Trust me, Harry, he's doing quite the opposite."

"I hope so. It's pretty hard to convince Gryffindors that Slytherins aren't behind it," Harry frowned. "They seem to wonder why I even associate myself with you anymore."

Aliza glanced around the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, the whispered insults and condemning glares were painfully obvious. "If they're giving you a hard time, we can talk elsewhere," she said in a low voice.

Harry considered it for a while before shaking his head. "It's alright, you're family. It's different," he smiled. "We met Hagrid today for tea and he mentioned a name worth noting - Nicolas Flamel. It was more of a slip of the tongue. He tends to do that a lot, shooed us away right after saying his name."

"Nicolas Flamel?" Aliza repeated. "You think he's got something to do with whatever Dumbledore's hiding?"

Before Harry could reply, a mob of red hair appeared behind him. "Harry! You can't possibly be telling her everything we know! _Especially_ when you know her relationship with Snape," Weasley said loudly.

"What are you insinuating, Weasley?"

"Ron, it's fine, she's my -"

"Sister. Right," the bushy-haired girl had appeared behind Aliza, "Regardless, you should be careful who you trust. _Slytherins_ should not be on the list."

"So it's house above family now?" Aliza shot back, rising from the bench.

"Do you really expect Harry to trust you when your blond friend has been constantly aggravating us and setting us up?" Ron's face had turned a brilliant shade of red, making him a sight for sore eyes with his flaming red weasley hair.

"My friendship with Draco doesn't determine whether my brother should trust me or not."

"Then why don't you defend your brother? Ask Malfoy to stop his nonsense!"

"Stop it," Harry said, standing up. "All of you." He sighed, picking up his bag from the table. "We've had this conversation before. I can handle Malfoy and his Slytherins on my own." He turned to Aliza, not meeting her eyes. "I think it's best if you just write from now on." He walked past her and left the Great Hall, leaving Aliza alone to deal with the sting of rejection.

She turned and pushed her way past Granger, heading back to the Slytherin table. Her clenched fists shook as she took a seat beside Draco. The table was silent, having seen Harry storm out. The Slytherins were all staring at one another, unsure of what to do to calm the steaming Potter down. Aliza was so caught up in her ugly thoughts of her brother that she almost didn't notice the warm touch at her hand. Her eyes met Draco's and he smiled, giving her hand a small squeeze before piling her plate high with food. She looked around at her housemates, who were all giving her smiles of their own. Even Pansy was piling the last chicken pie on Aliza's plate. A strange warmth of comfort washed over Aliza, and she found herself laughing at the joy of having found people she knew she could count on.

The meal was a joyous occasion filled with stupid stories from their childhood. When they got themselves back to the common room, they gathered near the glass wall, the fireplace having been taken by a group of sixth years.

"Before I forget to say it, Harry said that Hagrid mentioned a Nicolas Flamel earlier today," Aliza said, leaning against the cool glass.

"Nicolas Flamel? Isn't he famous for his alchemy work?" Blaise said, chewing on a toffee eclair.

"You mentioned something useful, Blaise! That's great improvement!" Pansy exclaimed with mock amazement.

"I'm pretty sure he only knew that because of the atrocious amount of chocolate frog cards he collects," Draco drawled.

"Well, you'd only know that if you collected them too!" Blaise accused.

"Are you guys talking about alchemy?" Theo asked beside Pansy, lowering his book. He only ever puts his books down when a conversation interests him.

"Theo! Maybe you can enlighten us," Pansy said. "What do you know of Nicolas Flamel and his alchemy work?"

"Flamel? Well, for starters, he's the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, which helped him make the elix-"

"Hold up, did you say stone?" Aliza interrupted.

"Yes, the Philosopher's Stone," Theo said, frowning at being cut off. "Like I was saying, it helped him make the elixir of life, which explains why he is still alive today."

"That's it then! Dumbledore's protecting the Philosopher's Stone and Quirrell is trying to steal it to gain immortality!" Pansy said.

"Quirrell? I'm sorry, are we still on the same page here?" Theo asked with a deepening frown.

"It's a long story," Pansy said. "We'll fill you in after."

"What we lack now is evidence that points to Quirrell. We can't keep going on with baseless accusations," Draco said.

He was met with a murmur of agreement before the group of them were chased to their dorms by the Slytherin prefect.

* * *

"Is everyone going home for Christmas?" Daphne asked at the breakfast table one day. Her question was met with nods from almost everyone.

"I'm off to visit my relatives in Italy," Blaise said, helping himself to some eggs.

"Are you staying at Hogwarts, Aliza? I heard your brother is," Pansy asked. She rightfully assumed that Aliza had no intention of going back to the orphanage. It wasn't that she hated it. She just didn't have much to do there. Besides, she couldn't practice magic if she wasn't in Hogwarts.

She was just about to answer Pansy when Draco cut in. "Actually, Aliza's visiting the Manor for the holidays. That is, if she agrees to it," he said, looking hopefully at Aliza.

"Well- I- Yeah, sure," she stuttered in response. She wasn't expecting an invitation from the Malfoys to stay for the whole of Christmas break. Granted, they were especially kind to her but she had thought that once they learnt of Harry's uselessness in becoming the next dark wizard, they wouldn't care as much anymore.

"Brilliant! I'll owl my mother as soon as possible," Draco grinned. "Oh, and she sent another package of candies and cakes." He reached into his bag and pulled out a box full of assorted cupcakes and mice pops. They all helped themselves to something from the box. Mrs Malfoy was always sending Draco different sweets and snacks and he always shared them with everyone. Aliza once thought it was due to Draco's surprising generosity but she knew now that it was really because the amount of candy he would have accumulated would be way too much for one person.

As they ate, Aliza looked to the staff table in hopes of not making eye contact with Harry, who had been trying to speak with her since that day. It seemed that he had regretted ever asking her to stick to letters because she never wrote to him. She wasn't really angry at him anymore. In fact, she had realised that it really was better off for the both of them if it saved them so much Gryffindor-Slytherin drama.

Quirrell was at his usual seat, eyes darting around the hall for any threats like every other day. She still couldn't imagine how the fumbling and stuttering professor could have such a strong desire for the Philosopher's Stone. There _had_ to be something— or someone— else in this whole thing. Who would want immortality that bad?

* * *

Christmas break came all too soon and Aliza found herself at Kings Cross Station once more.

"Aliza! It's so good to see you again!" Mrs. Malfoy said, giving her a hug.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy!" Aliza said.

Come, take my hand," Mrs. Malfoy proffered an arm for Aliza to hold on to. As soon as Aliza touched her arm, she felt the sensation of being sucked into a small tube and squeezed out the other end. In a split second, she was standing outside a grand mansion that she assumed was the Malfoy Manor. The gardens they were standing in were beautiful. A variety of flowers lined the hedges along the path that lead to the front doors of the manor. As the Malfoys led her along the path, she couldn't help but admire the different coloured lilies that were in abundance. Her favourite were the white ones with pink petal ends.

Right as Mr. Malfoy set foot in the manor, a stout creature with enormous ears appeared at his feet. It was wearing a pillow case that had holes cut for its hands and legs.

"Welcome home, Master. Dobby will take Master's cloak," it said with a bow. "May Dobby also take Miss Aliza Potter's things to her room?" The creature looked up at Aliza with huge eyes.

"Yes, please," Aliza said, digging into her pockets for the trunk that she had shrunk and charmed weightless. "Here, and thank you."

Dobby's eyes widened in what seemed like shock and horror. "Young mistress is not needing to say thank you! Dobby is only doing his duty, yes!"

"Oh, well- uh-"

"If Miss Aliza wants to say thank you, you will accept it _graciously_. Is that understood, Dobby?" Mrs. Malfoy said.

"Yes, Mistress. Dobby understands," and with another bow, the house elf disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

"I swear that house elf has some issues sometimes," Draco said, shaking his head slowly.

"Draco," Mr. Malfoy said with warning in his tone.

Draco sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know. 'Be a master that deserves to be served'."

"Draco will show you to your room," Mrs. Malfoy said to Aliza. "Dinner will be at half past six. Please do make yourself at home here." She smiled warmly.

Draco took her hand and led her up the stairs and through a corridor with portraits of past Malfoys. Eventually, he stopped at a door with her name on the front.

"Here's your room. Mine's just down the hallway," Draco said, pointing to a door with his name etched on the front. Aliza pushed open the door and her lips parted in amazement. The room was decorated with beautiful white and jade green colours. A bookshelf lined the wall on Aliza's right, near the entrance, and two armchairs were placed in front of the fireplace on the left wall. A huge bed was placed in front of the two armchairs and her trunk was lying at the foot of it. Aliza loved the room. It was the first bedroom she ever had all to herself! Well, excluding the time where the whole girls' room at the orphanage was empty save for her. But that was different.

"It's amazing," she grinned.

"I knew you'd like it! I chose the colours myself," Draco said proudly. Aliza rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that made its way across her face. "We still have some time before dinner. Come, I'll give you a tour of the manor."

He led her around the grounds, showing her the library, potions lab and even the peacocks they had on the grounds. They eventually settled for dinner in the dining hall where they were joined by Mr. And Mrs. Malfoy.

The first few days of the holiday went by very quickly and soon enough, it was Christmas. Aliza woke up with the slight disappointment that she wouldn't get to enjoy Mrs. Gardner's gingerbread cookies that morning. She couldn't deny that she missed Mrs. Gardner in one way or another. Aliza closed her eyes once more as she lay on her bed, hoping to magically smell the familiar scent of freshly baked goods. It was pretty amazing how magic worked because Aliza was very certain she could smell them. Her eyes shot open and for a moment, all she could do was stare at the mound of presents on her trunk.

This was going to be the most amazing Christmas ever. She was about to open her first present when a knock sounded on her bedroom door. Draco came bounding in, arms filled with presents and yet another pile floating in behind him.

"I thought we'd open them together," he grinned.

Draco ended up with a quidditch game set, two new scarves, four new cloaks, a pair of shoes with an accompanying shoe shiner, three books, a snowglobe, a Nimbus Two Thousand (which he wouldn't shut up about for 3 whole months), a new eagle quill, and mounds upon mounds of candy and chocolate.

Aliza received a new green velvet cloak, three new notebooks, a new set of inks with a beautiful hippogriff feather for a quill, a blue dress, a golden gobstone set and her most favourite, gingerbread cookies from Mrs. Gardner. She was chewing on the last piece of cookie when she noticed something odd about one of the notebooks. It had a very posh black spine but seemed quite worn down. She turned the book over and caught sight of a set of golden letters at the bottom of the cover.

"T.M.R..." She muttered. "Draco, what's this?"

Draco took the book and stared at the letters. "T.M.R? I think they're initials."

"Whose initials? And why would someone give it to me?" She asked as Draco flipped through the book.

"It's completely empty... That's odd."

"Do you think it's written in invisible ink?"

"It's a possibility. The only spell I know of is _Aparecium_ , but I don't know how to cast it." Draco said, handing the book back. "Who's it from anyway?"

She dug into the pile of wrapping paper set before her, looking for the shimmering green that the notebooks were wrapped in. Attached to a torn piece of paper was a tag that wrote:

 _Ask and I will answer_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco said.

"Ask and I will answer..." Aliza mumbled before reaching for her new inks and quill. She uncapped a bottle of green ink and dipped her quill in the pot.

"What are you- oh. Liza, that's brilliant! Ask and I will answer!" Draco broke into a grin.

Hello,' she wrote.

 _Hi_.

The words appeared in the book from nowhere, writing itself onto its pages.

Who are you?

 _I'm Tom. And you are?_

Tom? Is T.M.R your initials?

 _Yes. Who are you?_

What are you?

 _I'm a diary, isn't that obvious? Now are you friend or foe?_

That depends. Are you trapped in there?

 _It depends on how you look at it._

Are you a memory of some sort? A special way of recording in a diary?

 _Not entirely, but you could explain it that way._

If you're not going to give me answers, I'll just end up burning you out of spite.

 _I'd like to see you try._

 _"Incendio!"_

Aliza, no!" Draco yelled but not in time to save the book from getting blasted by fire. "Are you mad!?"

"Oh, shut up, Draco!" Aliza rolled her eyes as her wand stopped spouting flames. "I know it's not going to burn."

True to her word, the book, though covered in soot, was still in perfectly fine condition. She opened the book, unsurprised by the crisp, white pages within it.

 _You're a feisty one._

Rolling her eyes once more, Aliza snapped the book shut and tossed it onto her bed. The nerve of that Tom! She grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him up to stand, dragging him out of the room. "We're going to the library."

They spent the next two days of Christmas break looking up on memory charms and inserting lifeforms into objects. Their search wasn't becoming very fruitful, and Aliza was getting more frustrated by the minute.

"I can't find anything that explains how this diary works!" She groaned, leaning into the couch beside the fireplace. "And we've searched literally the entire library here."

Draco looked up from the book in his hands and silently stared at Aliza. She narrowed her eyes, straightening up. It was the blank look Draco always had when he was thinking about something important. "Don't tell me there's more," she said.

"Not a word to anyone, alright?" He said quietly. It was only after Aliza gave her word that he stood in front of the fireplace and uttered the words 'Sanctimonia Vincet Semper'. At those words, the fireplace slid aside to reveal a small archway through which held a small library.

Aliza stepped into the mini library, breathing in the musty smell of old books and leather covers. The shelves were lined with rows upon rows of books on the dark arts and it's many rare uses. "This is amazing..." Aliza whispered in awe. "How many centuries worth of knowledge is this?" She turned to Draco, who was skimming through the shelf closest to the entrance.

"Hundreds? Maybe more," he shrugged, pulling a book of the shelf. "Most of it is from the Malfoy side of the family. But here," he said, walking towards a black shelf in the back of the small room. "Here is where the books from the Blacks are. My mother managed to snag some she thought were more useful and interesting from her family library shortly after her sister and cousin got imprisoned."

Aliza took slow steps towards the shelf, running her eyes over the titles on the spines of the books. She ran her hand over the books and stopped at a copy of _Secrets of the Darkest Art._ The cover of the book had elegant golden swirls engraved, and underneath it revealed yellow pages filled with text. "Can I borrow this?" She breathed, fingers dancing over the words on the page.

"I don't think my parents will notice if it's just for a few days," Draco said, putting his book back onto the shelf. "Dobby!"

Almost immediately, the small elf appeared with a pop beside Draco. "Yes, young master?" Dobby bowed.

"Transfigure the cover of this book to something more inconspicuous," he ordered, gesturing to the book in Aliza's hands.

"You could be more polite, Draco," Aliza said, giving him a slightly disapproving look as the house elf snapped his fingers. The book instantly morphed into a book on the basics of flying, with a moving picture of a quidditch player. Aliza smiled, taking the book back. "Thank you, Dobby."

"Will young masters be needing anything else?" Dobby beamed, slightly bashful from Aliza's thanks.

"No, you can leave now," Draco replied. "And thanks... I guess." He looked to the nearest shelf, apparently finding _Curses for Dummies_ extremely interesting.

Dobby grinned even wider and disappeared with a pop. "I think that's enough research for today," Aliza said, taking Draco's hand in hers and dragging him out of the library. "Let's go test your new broomstick out!"


End file.
